


I'd Like You For Christmas

by IceBlueRose



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas Fluff, F/M, I don't care that it's September, I hope you've seen Moana because I totally spoil the hell out of it, I might do more in this 'verse, If Hallmark can have Christmas in July I can have it in September, Leonard and Lisa were adopted by the Steins, This is so ridiculously fluffy you might get cavities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-24 23:16:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12023124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceBlueRose/pseuds/IceBlueRose
Summary: It started with a trip to the toy store and a lost little girl.





	I'd Like You For Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [newyorkcity_dreaming](https://archiveofourown.org/users/newyorkcity_dreaming/gifts).



> Hey, Twin, remember when this was supposed to be a short little one shot for your birthday back in June? Yeah, me too. This is so very late but I hope you like it!
> 
> Italics are mostly writing, text messages, or lyrics. Title is from the song I'd Like You for Christmas by Julie London.

Leonard hated the toy store during the holidays but his niece wanted scientist Barbie so here he was, venturing in to what he was sure was one of the seven circles of hell, hoping to buy the doll she wanted.

He wasn’t too far from his goal when he heard crying. Leonard couldn’t say what drew his attention to that in the middle of a crowded store but he followed his instincts and rather than continuing to the next aisle over, he paused and scanned the aisle he’d been about to pass, pausing when he found the source of crying.

The little girl looked like she was no more than four years old. Tears were making their way down her freckled cheeks as she looked around, one of her hands tugging at a strand of her dark blonde hair. Leonard had a feeling that she had wandered off to look at the toy she was interested in and then realized that her parent wasn’t with her. It was something each of his nieces and nephews had done at least once.

“Momma?” she called, breath hitching and confirming Leonard’s thoughts. “Momma!”

He moved closer, slowly crouching down next to her so that she wouldn’t be startled at his sudden appearance. “Hi,” he said, making sure to keep his voice soft. Bright blue eyes focused on him and Leonard couldn’t help but think that she must have every adult in her life wrapped around her finger with eyes like that. “My name’s Leonard. Can you tell me your name?”

She shook her head. “You’re a stranger. Momma said not to.”

Leonard nodded. “Sounds like you have a pretty smart momma.” He paused. “Can you tell me her name? Or,” he added when she frowned, “maybe you can tell me what she looks like and then I can try and see her from here.”

He waited patiently for her to decide, fighting back the smile that wanted to appear at the way she bit her lip in thought, a habit that he’d bet she had picked up from her mom.

Before she could answer, he heard a panicked voice. “Katie!”

That had to be her mom, Leonard decided. He looked at the girl that he had a feeling was named Katie. “Hey, I’m not going anywhere. But I need to stand up real fast, okay?”

She nodded, a slight pout on her face. “Okay.”

Leonard pushed to his feet and turned in the direction that he’d heard the voice come from and blinked at what he found.

It was like looking at an older version of her daughter, right down to the freckles, but even if they hadn’t looked so much alike, he’d have known who she was to the little girl just by her eyes alone. Leonard made sure to catch her attention and then motioned her over before pointing down at Katie. Her eyes ticked down and a look of sheer relief flooded her face.

He crouched back down and tapped Katie’s nose lightly, earning himself a small giggle. “Guess who found us?” he asked.

She didn’t get to answer before she was being swept up in to her mom’s arms. “Momma,” she cried out happily.

“Katie,” her mom breathed, closing her eyes in relief for a moment before opening them and pulling back, looking her daughter over. “What have I told you about going off on your own, Katherine Leigh?”

Katie pouted. “But I wanted to see the ninja doll!”

“I should have sent you with your uncle,” she muttered before she turned to Leonard. “Hi.” She smiled. “Thank you. I just...I took my eyes off her for two seconds to grab something and then...” She shook her head.

“Hey, my nieces and nephews have each given their parents a heart attack more than once doing the exact same thing,” Leonard assured her. She laughed as they both stood.

“Oh, well, that makes me feel better.” She kept one hand on Katie and held out the other. “I’m Sara.”

“That’s Lenny,” Katie piped up. Leonard laughed at the way she shortened his name as Sara grinned.

“Leonard,” he corrected, shaking her hand.

“Nice to meet you.” She paused when Katie tugged on her hand. “What is it, sweetie?”

“Momma, ninjas!”

Sara stared down at her for a moment then glanced at the end of the aisle. “Look, there’s Auntie Laurel and Uncle Mick,” she said. “Go to them and Uncle Mick will take you straight to them. You know how much he loves ninjas.”

Katie’s eyes lit up and she took off running, shouting as she did so, “Uncle Mick! Momma said you could show me the ninja dolls!”

“Ninja dolls?”

Sara shrugged and smiled. “She likes the ones that kick butt.” 

Leonard nodded. “My niece is going the opposite direction. I’m here for scientist Barbie.”

“Hey now, scientists can kick butt. It wasn’t my best subject so I couldn’t tell you how but I’m sure they can.” Sara grinned again when Leonard laughed. “Listen, I just wanted to thank you again. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost Katie.”

Leonard smiled at her. “No thanks needed. I was glad to help.”

Sara studied him for a moment. “Do you have kids?” she asked.

“No,” he shook his head, “just horrible little nieces and nephews.” He smirked.

She scoffed. “Yeah, I can tell you just hate them with the way you’re here, during the holiday season, for a single Barbie doll.”

“Well, I have a reputation as best uncle to maintain.”

Before she could reply, a shout came from the next aisle over. “Blondie! Get over here and check out this ninja!”

Sara snorted and covered her face with one hand. “And that’d be my brother-in-law.” She shook her head and dropped her hand. “I better go. Nice meeting you, Leonard. Thanks again,” she said, walking backwards a few steps.

“Any time. Though I hope you’re not offended if I say I hope we don’t meet like this again,” Leonard replied. Sara shot him a slightly flirtatious smile before she spun around and walked away, turning the corner, Leonard’s eyes on her back.

Of all the places to meet a gorgeous blonde with killer blue eyes, he thought to himself, amused. Briefly, he wondered if he should have gotten her number or just flat out asked her out before he shook his head at himself. There was no way Sara was single and this way he avoided the awkward rejection. He blew out a breath and headed to the end of the aisle, turning in the opposite direction of Sara and her family.

He had a Barbie to find.

~*~*~

“So, what’s up with you, big brother?”

Leonard frowned at his laptop. “What do you mean what’s up with me?” he asked, continuing to stare at his screen.

“It means,” Lisa told him as she opened up the last bottle of Snapple that had been in the fridge, damn her, “that you’re acting like a freak.” She smiled when he frowned at her.

Behind him, his other sister sighed in frustration. “That’s not what she meant,” Lily objected, sliding in to the seat to his right.

“Yes, it was,” Lisa muttered.

Lily gave her an unimpressed look before turning to Leonard with a sweet smile that, after years of experience, immediately made him wary of what was coming next. “What she meant was you’ve been off ever since you went to get that Barbie for Mel a few weeks ago and if you don’t tell us why, we’re going to sic Mom on you.”

Damn it.

He loved his mother but he really didn’t want her questioning him on his behavior. She had the uncanny ability to know when he was lying and it never took her long to figure what he was lying about. Which meant she’d find out about that brief meeting with Sara Unknown Last Name and then he’d have to answer questions about why he kept thinking about her. Since he didn’t have those answers, he didn’t want to have that conversation.

“Nothing’s up with me,” he denied. “Unless you count Caitlin riding my ass about my latest deadline.” He gestured at his laptop. He fought back the urge to roll his eyes when Lily and Lisa exchanged a disbelieving look.

Lily smirked and picked up her phone, reading out loud as she typed. “Hey, Mom. Leonard’s been acting weird and Lisa and I are worried. Think you can check up on him?” She raised an eyebrow at Leonard and waved the phone in his direction. “All I have to do is hit send.”

“You’re the worst sisters.”

“Cheer up, Lenny, we do this out of love,” Lisa told him, pausing when Leonard’s lips twitched at the nickname. Her eyes narrowed. “You never smile when I call you Lenny. You roll your eyes or smirk. So what’s with the almost smile?” 

“Don’t you two have husbands you could be nagging?”

“They took the kids out for the day so that we could nag you though,” Lisa gleefully told him.

Leonard groaned. “It was nothing, okay? I helped a little girl find her mom at the store and she called me Lenny. She was cute. That’s it.”

Lisa glanced up at Lily and the two of them slowly smiled at each other. “So, was her mom cute too?” Lisa asked knowingly.

Leonard closed his eyes and blew out a breath. His sisters had the same knack that his mom did for figuring out what he didn’t want to talk about so he shouldn’t be surprised. Might as well just give up now, he decided. “She was gorgeous,” he admitted.

Lily’s eyes lit up. “Did you ask her out?”

He shook his head. “No. She had just been panicking that her daughter was lost. It didn’t really seem like a good time to see if she wanted to grab dinner or something.”

“Ugh,” Lisa groaned in disgust. “You’re hopeless.”

Leonard rolled his eyes.

~*~*~

Despite the teasing from his sisters, Leonard pushed thoughts of Sara to the side and focused on his book. He had a deadline and while Caitlin Snow might look sweet, there was a reason that people had given her the nickname Killer Frost. The day that he finished, he celebrated by actually going outside for the first time in a week.

He decided to be a good brother and buy Lisa lunch from the little Italian café they both loved and never had time to actually go to anymore and hoped that’d be enough to get Lisa to stop dropping hints about going back to the toy store as if she fully expected Sara to just be waiting there in the doll aisle for him. He made sure to get lasagna for Lisa because she’d whine if he got anything else and he didn’t want to hear about how a better brother would remember her favorite.

Lisa’s car was the only one in the parking lot of her small jewelry store, Golden Glider, and he raised an eyebrow at that. She usually had at least one customer browsing. Still, that just meant he could pick on her when he went in.

“Hey, Trainwreck,” he called as he entered the store, pausing only to make sure that the door didn’t slam closed behind him.

“Lenny!”

Leonard spun at the name and couldn’t stop his surprise from showing for a moment when he spotted Sara and Katie standing near one of the display cases with Lisa. Sara smiled at him while Lisa looked between the two of them with dawning realization.

“Hey, Jerk, my nose better not be lying about the lasagna I’m smelling” Lisa said, sounding far too amused. She glanced at Sara and Katie. “I take it you guys know my brother then.”

“Small world,” Sara mused. “We met a few weeks ago.”

“Did you?” Lisa smiled at Leonard. “That’s great. Here, Lenny, give me the bag and then you can tell me why I rated free lunch.” She didn’t bother to wait for a response, simply took the bag and headed towards the back room where they normally ate whenever any of the family stopped by to have lunch with her.

Leonard focused back on Sara and grinned down at Katie, who was beaming up at him. “Christmas shopping?” he asked Sara.

She nodded. “I always buy my sister something of Lisa’s. It’s been the tradition since the year I found out I was having Katie.” She shrugged. “Laurel was my rock at the time and I wanted to get her something nice. Lisa only had a kiosk back then and she saw me coming back to a necklace over and over before I finally went to the clearance shelf because I couldn’t afford the other one. Next thing I know, she’s telling me that the necklace is fifty percent off and so that’d actually be the better deal if I really wanted that one.” Shaking her head in remembrance, Sara smiled. “She never did let me pay her the difference. But Laurel loved the necklace and now I come here every year.”

Leonard couldn’t help but smile at the story. He could imagine Lisa doing exactly that, especially if Sara had been visibly pregnant by that point. “Lisa’s always made some pretty great stuff.”

Lisa huffed as she came back to the front. “Stuff.” She shook her head. “Like this is just something you can find anywhere. Excuse you, Lenny, I’m an _artist_.”

Leonard rolled his eyes, smirking a bit when Sara pressed her lips together in an effort to hide her smile. “Of course you are, Lisa.” When he noticed Katie trying to imitate Sara by not smiling or laughing, he winked at her and she lost that battle, burying her face against Sara’s leg as she started laughing.

“Mom still has the macaroni necklace I made when I was six because it was great.”

“Of course it was, Lisa.” His voice was completely deadpan as he spoke.

Lisa frowned at him. “You’re just humoring me, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am, Lisa.”

The smirk he gave Lisa as he said it was all it took for Sara to break and she started laughing causing Leonard’s smirk to melt in to a smile. Lisa made a face at Leonard.

“You’re the worst brother and I hate you,” she declared.

Leonard pointed at her. “Lie. Which means I get your cheesecake. No dessert for you.”

Lisa narrowed her eyes at him. “I will fight you to the _death_.”

_It’s about time that some things went my way_  
_Throwing troubles out to the wind and_  
_I’m praying that they never catch up again_  
_I’m gonna say my worrying days are done_  
_And this looks like a good day to run_

“Sorry,” Sara told them, digging through her purse, pulling her phone out after a few moments and accepting the call. “Hi, Barry.” She paused as the person on the other line spoke, her eyes drifting to where Katie had begun to hop from tile to tile in a pattern that only seemed to make sense to her. Sara couldn’t help but smile at the sight. “Yeah, of course we’ll be there. I’ll even show up early to make sure Patty’s not stuck cooking on her own, Mr. I Could Burn Water. Say hi to her for me, okay?” Her jaw dropped at what he said and then she wrinkled her nose. “That was more than I ever needed to know about the two of you. I can’t believe you, of all people, said that.” She laughed at whatever reply she got. “Yeah, okay, you’re an onion.” She rolled her eyes. “Bye, Barry.” She looked back at Lisa and Leonard as she hung up. “Sorry about that. But I’m pretty sure that’s my cue to get going so you guys can eat,” she said, picking up the bag sitting on the counter. “Thanks, Lisa.”

“Of course,” Lisa replied with a smile.

Sara turned to Leonard, her eyes ticking downwards to take in the rest of him before drifting back up to meet his gaze. “Nice seeing you again, Leonard.”

His eyes flicked to her lips then back up. “Likewise.” 

There was just a hint of a smirk on her face before she looked over at Katie. “Hey, ninja, come say goodbye. We have to go.”

Katie spun and ran back to the counter and stood on her tiptoes only for Sara to pick her up so that she could lean over the counter and hug Lisa. “Bye, Lisa!”

Lisa laughed and hugged her back. “Bye, Katie.”

As soon as Katie was back on the ground, she dashed over to Leonard and tugged on his jeans until he crouched in front of her.

“What’s up, Katie girl?”

Instead of answering, Katie, who clearly wasn’t shy, flung her arms around him and he startled for a moment before hugging her back. 

“Bye, Lenny!”

He smiled. “Bye.” He lifted his eyes towards Sara to find her smiling down at them. “Maybe I’ll see you guys around.” Sara’s smile widened a bit though she didn’t say anything.

Katie’s eyes lit up as Sara took her hand and Leonard stood up. “Okay!”

“Bye, guys,” Sara called as she and Katie walked out. 

The second the door had closed behind them, Lisa turned to Leonard. “Sara’s the one from the store. Tell me you asked her out while I was in the back.”

Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Weren’t you listening?”

“Only to make sure I wasn’t about to interrupt something.”

“Christ, Lisa, her daughter was in the room.”

Lisa grinned triumphantly. “So you did ask her out, you just didn’t lay one on her like you clearly wanted to?”

“No,” Leonard denied. “We talked and then you came out and you were here for the rest of it.”

Lisa stared at him. “Are you kidding me? Ugh, I swear, you need an intervention.”

One of these days, his mom’s prediction of rolling his eyes right out of his head was going to come true and it was going to be Lisa’s fault.

~*~*~

Leonard let out a sigh of relief as he felt the warmth of Speedy’s begin to seep through his clothes and settle in his bones. He smiled at the sight of the owner, Thea, standing behind the counter.

The grin she shot him was flirtatious though they both knew it didn’t mean anything since she was very happily dating some guy named Roy that she’d mentioned a few times. “Let me guess,” she greeted him. “Hot chocolate with mini marshmallows.”

“And one of the chocolate peanut butter brownies,” he added, finishing his usual order. He’d discovered those over a year ago, a couple of weeks after he’d found Speedy’s, and couldn’t resist getting one whenever he stopped by.

“I should probably change the name of that and name it after you,” she joked. “If you don’t mind waiting, a fresh batch just came out. They just need to cool a bit before they can be cut then you can have one. How does that sound?”

“My favorite brownie, warm and fresh out of the oven? My God, however will I survive the horror?” he deadpanned as he paid. She rolled her eyes and began to make his hot chocolate while he moved to the side to wait for his drink.

“Here you go, one hot chocolate with a mountain of marshmallows.” Thea handed him the cup and Leonard’s lips twitched as he looked down at his cup because that really was a mountain of marshmallows. “I’ll bring the brownie over when it’s ready.”

Leonard lifted his cup at her in a silent toast and made his way to his favorite table near the window, grateful that it was empty. It didn’t take him long to get settled, his cup set to the side and a notebook in front of him.

He opened it and flipped passed the pages of writing until he found a blank one. Using a notebook was the easiest way for him to write when he decided to go somewhere public since it was easy to carry and not as difficult to find a place to sit the way it would have been if he’d brought his laptop.

He let out a breath as he pulled out a pen, the idea for the next book in the series already pushing at him. The previous book was with Caitlin and once he got that back, he’d have to work on any edits necessary but right now, he had time. So, despite the fact that it drove Caitlin nuts, he’d started the next book, working on it when he wasn’t dealing with something else.

Letting the noise of the café fade in to the background, he began to write.

_Power thrummed through his veins, the air around him thickening, as he calmly walked towards the building that held his crew._

_1411 S. Paris Boulevard._

_Derek’s lips twisted in a satisfied smirk at the feel of the blades from his knives scraping against the skin of his inner wrist. For just a moment, he let the power he usually kept tightly under wraps flow free, his eyes becoming a solid black._

_Not that he needed the knives. He just liked them._

_Isabella had been the first person to ever get so close to his crew which meant that she knew how to be subtle, she knew how to hide her true self. Now that she had a few members of his crew, she’d become a bit too easy to find which meant she was either incredibly stupid or incredibly cocky and smart._

_Frankly, he’d put his money on the former._

_Still, it was better to be prepared on the off chance that she was smart enough to set a trap for him._

_He pulled out his phone and hit speed dial 3, lips twitching slightly because as close as Isabella had gotten, she’d still missed something. He glanced to the side as the phone was picked up._

_“I’m nearly there,” he said._

_“I’m in place.”_

_He nodded. “I thought you might be. Are you ready?”_

_“She has my brother. I’m ready.”_

_“Five minutes.” He disconnected the call and slid the phone in to his pocket, his stride lengthening as the building Isabella was using came in to view. He smirked and deliberately moved his wrist to feel the blade against his skin once more._

_Showtime._

A plate slid on to the table, the scent of chocolate and peanut butter reaching him and he paused.

“One chocolate peanut butter brownie for Leonard.”

Leonard’s head shot up and he grinned. “Sara,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

Sara raised an eyebrow at him and then very pointedly looked down at the apron she was wearing, laughing when Leonard closed his eyes and shook his head at himself. “I’m going to assume that you were distracted by whatever you’re doing and give you a pass on that question and just answer you instead. I’m the pastry chef here.”

Leonard looked down at the brownie and then back up at Sara. “You’re the one responsible for this brownie?”

“And every other baked good you see in here.”

Well, Sara was officially his favorite person in the world though he probably shouldn’t tell his family that. There might be protests. Leonard nudged the chair across from him. “Can you take a break?”

She held up a finger and glanced behind her. “Thea!” When Thea looked over, Sara pointed at the chair in question, causing Thea to laugh.

“About time you took a break! You’ve been here since 5:00, Sara, sit down.”

Sara sighed in relief and practically dropped in the chair. “Oh good.” After a moment, she straightened in her seat and smiled at him. “So. Hi.”

“You’ve been here since 5:00?” he asked, not bothering to hide his amazement. “And you haven’t taken a break?”

“Well, technically my break was spent making Katie breakfast since Thea lets me rent the apartment that’s upstairs. It means I can get up and come down and start baking for the day and I just use a baby monitor to listen for Katie upstairs. Depending on the day, either my friend, Felicity, or Jax, a student who’s been helping me out for years, will come over to watch her.”

It wasn’t any of his business, Leonard told himself. He shouldn’t ask. Except he wanted to know and he’d never been the type to back off when he was curious about something. Still, he also didn’t want to offend Sara. “If it’s not overstepping, what about her dad?”

Sara’s lips pressed together briefly. “He’s not in the picture. He...didn’t want to be.”

Leonard pushed the brownie towards her in a silent offering. “I’m sorry.”

“Well, I figure it’s his loss.” She smiled again and tore off a small corner of his brownie. “And now that I’ve brought down the mood of a brownie for breakfast—“

“No,” Leonard cut her off. “Don’t think that. I was the one that asked.”

“Well,” Sara told him, “I suppose I can forgive you. On one condition.”

“And what’s that?”

Sara held up a single finger as if to demonstrate her point. “Answer one question.”

Leonard fought back a sigh and readied himself to start answering questions about what he’d been writing. Experience had taught him that even when people didn’t know that he wrote for a living, they wanted to know why he was writing in a notebook and what he was writing about. So, rather than automatically agree to answer, he asked, “What’s the question?”

Folding her arms on the table, Sara leaned forward. “What’s your last name?”

A surprised laugh escaped before Leonard could stop it. Now, that question was one he hadn’t expected. “Stein,” he admitted. “My last name is Stein.” He leaned forward so that they were only inches apart. “Fair’s fair, Sara.” He couldn’t help but glance at her lips when they quirked up in amusement. “What’s your last name?”

“Lance,” she told him softly.

“Sara Lance,” he said with a small smile.

“Leonard Stein,” she countered, lips turning up slightly in a smile of her own.

They stared at each other, the tension between them increasing with each minute that passed before the excited shouts of a couple of teenagers that had just walked in caused them to jerk back in their seats.

Sara glanced at the clock and let out a breath. “Looks like my fifteen minutes are up anyway.” She looked down at his plate. “Your brownie isn’t warm anymore though. Sorry about that.”

He shrugged. “Worth it.”

She grinned as she stood. “I’ll see you around.” She set a piece of paper and the pen that he hadn’t even noticed her taking on the table, sliding the paper towards him. She smirked and tapped her finger against the paper. “Enjoy the brownie, Leonard.” Before he could reply, she straightened and walked away, laughing at something Thea said before she went in the back.

Leonard stared at the door that led to the kitchen for a few moments and then he looked back at the paper that she’d set in front of him and unfolded it, a smile spreading across his face when he saw a phone number scrawled on it.

Shooting another look at the door Sara had gone through, he pulled out his phone and entered Sara’s number in, making sure to save it.

~*~*~

Leonard stared at the screen and pulled out his phone, opening up a new text message.

_People are more important than their principles._

He hit send and dropped his phone on to his stomach, focusing back on the screen. He didn’t have to wait long for a response and he laughed as he read the response.

_People are their principles._

Only a few seconds later, his phone vibrated again.

_I’d have pegged you for a Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid kind of guy rather than The Way We Were._

_I’m a man of many layers, Sara. I’m impressed you recognized the quote. Lisa hates when I pull that on her._

_Well I like quoting movies so I guess you’ll just have to send those texts to me now._

_I’ll do that._

~*~*~

_I swear this is why she’s going to be the first to die._

_……….what?_

_Criminal Minds! This girl is a moron and I’m offended on behalf of all blondes._

_I just want you to know I’m laughing at you_

_You’re a horrible person._

_I know, it keeps me up at night._

_Thank you, Stiles Stilinski._

_You’re good._

_Oh Leonard you have no idea._

~*~*~

_Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil._

_Baltasar Gracian. You’re still binge watching Criminal Minds aren’t you?_

_Yup._

_Three days, Sara._

_I’m years behind and there’s 12 seasons, shut up. Besides I can only watch when Katie’s in bed._

_I’ll give you that one._

_I’d date so many people on this show_

_Let me guess. Morgan?_

_Well duh. But also Prentiss, JJ, Reid, Blake, Garcia..._

_Not Kate?_

_I haven’t gotten to her yet. But if she’s the one played by Jennifer Love Hewitt, I’d at least have a fling with her._

_That’s her._

_So I take it you’ve had to listen to plenty of Derek Morgan love_

_It’s not like I disagree because I’d date him too but if I never have to hear Lily talk about what she’d like to do to him again I can die happy_

_That bad huh?_

_I ran out of the room once I heard the words freebie list and I’m not ashamed of that._

_Sara?_

_You’re laughing at me aren’t you?_

_I better get a cookie with my brownie tomorrow._

~*~*~

The next day when Leonard went to Speedy’s, Thea smirked as she handed him a plate with both a chocolate peanut butter brownie and a large chocolate chip cookie. Underneath the cookie was a note in Sara’s writing.

_As requested._

~*~*~

_Thanks for the cookie. You know I never actually expected to get one right?_

His phone didn’t go off until thirty minutes later and he laughed when he saw the response Sara had sent: a picture of Katie and someone that had to be Jax, covered head to toe in mud, and captioned with _Talk later, trying to find my kid under all this mud._

~*~*~

They continued to text back and forth over the next few days and Leonard had gotten to the point that he smiled when his text alert went off, something that both of his sisters had given him hell for. Lily had grilled Lisa for everything she knew about Sara, which wasn’t as much as Lily had expected considering Sara had been a regular customer of Lisa’s for five years, and Lisa had tried to steal his phone so that she could go through the texts. He’d only just barely managed to keep her away from it.

Caitlin had gotten his manuscript back to him with less edits than he’d been expecting and so he focused on polishing up the few things that Caitlin had pointed out to him. It meant that he was at Speedy’s less than he had become used to but when he was, Sara would come spend her break with him. Not to mention the fact that they were still texting every night.

He looked forward to reading her snarky remarks about Criminal Minds and hearing about her day and what kind of trouble Katie and Jax or Katie and Felicity had gotten up to. Sometimes there were pictures of those shenanigans included and Leonard laughed at those every single time.

But despite the fact that he liked talking to her, he also was hoping to spend some time with her—hopefully more than fifteen minutes.

Leonard glanced at the screen and let out a long breath. He’d figure out a way for that to happen later. For now, he had edits to finish.

~*~*~

“Uncle Lenny!”

Leonard looked up as one of Lily and Ray’s daughters, Emma, ran in to the room, a pout on her face as she threw herself at him. He turned and braced himself, catching her and pulling her up in his lap.

“What’s wrong, Em?”

“We’re having a Christmas party on Friday at day care and I’m supposed to bring cupcakes,” she said, pout still firmly in place as she stared at her knees.

“Well, that doesn’t sound too bad.” Leonard tilted his head down so that they were face to face. “Did you want to take something else?”

“No.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

Emma looked up a bit. “Mommy has to leave so she can’t make them and Daddy only knows how to eat cupcakes, not make them!”

“Hey,” Ray protested as he walked in. Off of Leonard’s look, he shrugged. “I mean, she’s not wrong but still. Hey!”

“You nearly burned the kitchen down, Raymond,” Leonard pointed out with a smirk.

“The stove only got a little singed!”

Leonard rolled his eyes while Emma sighed more deeply than a six year old ever should as if to say, _do you see what I put up with_ and he fought back a laugh before turning his attention back to Emma. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t I make the cupcakes for you?”

Emma eyes lit up before something seemed to occur to her and she frowned, eyeing him skeptically. “Are you good at cupcakes, Uncle Lenny?”

He smiled at her. “I can honestly say I’ve only ever made cookies but I know someone who’s really good at baking so if I can’t do it, I can ask them for help.”

She smiled brightly. “Really?”

“Really.” Before he could say anything else, his phone went off and he glanced over, reading Sara’s name on the screen. “As a matter of fact, that’s a text from them now.” He pulled his phone towards him and picked it up, opening up the message.

_Hey, how do you feel about homemade pizza and a movie?_

He grinned and typed out a response, one handed, keeping his other around Emma. _I feel good about both those things. Why?_

_You want to come over tomorrow night for both?_

Leonard fought the urge to swear. The very thing he’d been trying to figure out a way to get was more time with Sara and now he was busy on the very night Sara invited him over.

_Normally I’d say yes. But my niece needs cupcakes for her Christmas party and my sister is going to be out of town. And Ray can’t be trusted with anything in the kitchen._

_Ah so you’re making the cupcakes. That’s sweet._

_Hopefully. Just need to find a recipe. Any recommendations to a guy who’s only ever baked cookies?_

_I can do better than that. Come to Speedy’s tomorrow around 5:30._

_Please tell me you don’t mean morning_

_Would I do that to you?_

_Yes._

_True. But no not morning. 5:30 tomorrow night._

_I’ll be there._

Leonard put the phone down and focused back on Emma. “Guess who just asked for help getting awesome cupcakes?”

Emma’s eyes widened and she threw her arms around Leonard. “Thank you, Uncle Lenny!”

Laughing lightly, Leonard hugged her back. “Anytime, Em. Go play now, okay?”

She nodded and slid off his lap, running out of the room and heading straight for the room he had set up for the kids (and his brothers-in-law, let’s face it) to play in. Instead of following her, Ray smiled at Leonard.

“What?” Leonard asked flatly.

“Was that Sara?”

Leonard resisted the urge to smack his forehead against the table. “How do you even know about Sara?”

Ray shrugged. “Lily.”

Of course. He turned back towards his laptop. “None of your business, Raymond.”

Rather than be put off by the response, Ray beamed. “That’s a yes! I have to tell Lily!” He didn’t give Leonard a chance to react before he took off in to the next room, already pulling his phone out.

Leonard sighed. His sisters were going to be such a pain after this.

~*~*~

Thea grinned when Leonard walked in to Speedy’s the next day. “Hey,” she said. “Sara’s in the kitchen. Just go on back.”

“I’m still not sure what’s going on but thanks for this,” Leonard told her.

Thea laughed. “Sara knows what she’s doing.”

This time, Leonard was the one that grinned. “I don’t doubt it.” He flipped up the side of the counter that allowed people to pass and went straight to the kitchen, pausing when he walked through the door, moving a few steps forward so the door wouldn’t hit him. He smiled at the sight of Sara bent over a counter, three sheets of paper in front of her, as she tapped her foot to the beat of the country music playing softly in the background. He glanced around. 

Despite the fact that he knew she’d been baking for a good portion of the day, the area had been wiped down and looked fairly clean. He figured it was easier to work that way and turned back to Sara just as she looked up. A smile spread across her face at the sight of him and she straightened.

“Right on time,” she said.

“Well, I couldn’t leave you waiting, could I?”

Sara scoffed and turned back to the papers she had out. “Of course not.” She glanced back at him. “So, I’ve got three recipes here and I figured you could pick which cupcakes we make.”

Leonard moved closer and studied the three recipes, turning his head to look at her. “We?”

“What, you thought I’d hand over the recipe and then abandon you? I don’t think so, I’m making sure these come out right.”

“Good because Emma’s favorite cookies are chocolate chip so those are the cupcakes I’m going with.”

Sara smiled. “Excellent choice.” She moved to put a few things away and took out a couple more bowls. “How many kids are at her day care?”

“A couple dozen.” Leonard shrugged out of his jacket and hung it over a chair towards the back of the kitchen. “At least that’s how many cupcakes Lily said to make.”

“Good.” Sara put away the other two recipes. “This recipe makes 30 cupcakes so you’ll have extra.” She set a bowl in front of him and then gestured at the containers on the counter as well as the measuring equipment. “Wash your hands,” she told him. “Then whisk all the dry ingredients together.”

Leonard smirked, saluted, and then quickly washed his hands before going to stand back in front of the bowl. He spared a moment to be grateful that she had each container labeled and then pulled the cake flour towards him. He glanced over as he continued to measure out the flour and watched as Sara turned two of the ovens to the correct temperature and then moved to the mixer.

“While you do that,” she said, “I’ll cream the butter and sugar together. Once you’re done with those ingredients, take this other bowl and mix the milk and vanilla together.”

They worked in an easy silence and Leonard was fairly sure that he was smiling like an idiot as he set aside the bowl of dry ingredients and measured out the milk and vanilla, mixing them together.

“Okay,” he stepped back while Sara checked the butter and sugar, “now what?”

She adjusted the speed of the mixer. “Now we alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk and vanilla.” She grinned at him. “You want to do it?”

“Pretty sure I’d make a mess,” Leonard laughed.

Sara eyed him and then smiled. “You add the milk and vanilla and I’ll add the dry ingredients. I’ll add the dry ingredients first and then you put in half of that mixture and then me again and then you’ll add the rest of yours and then I’ll add the rest of mine.”

“That I can do,” Leonard agreed.

They each grabbed their set of ingredients and Leonard watched with interest as Sara carefully added a third of the dry ingredients without causing any of them going to go flying. After a few moments, she nodded at him and he poured half of the milk and vanilla in. They continued until both sets of ingredients had been completely mixed in. Once that was done, Sara scraped down the sides of the bowl.

“How are you at separating egg yolks from egg whites?” she asked.

“Awful,” he told her. “I’ve tried it before. It never ends well.”

Sara laughed and waved him away from the counter. “Then back away from the other mixer,” she ordered, pulling out a plastic container. He watched as she quickly separated the egg yolks from the whites for five eggs, the whites going in the mixer’s bowl and the yolks going in to the plastic container.

“You’re not throwing those out?”

“Shut your mouth,” she gasped dramatically, giving him a teasing smile when he laughed. She quickly covered the container and then slid it in to the fridge. “I’ll use it to make a custard tomorrow. Can you put the liners in the pan?” 

“Sure.” He picked up the stack that she had nodded at and laughed a bit when he saw the cartoon drawings of Santa and Rudolph on each one.

“What? You said it was a Christmas party!”

He nodded. “I did.” While she checked on the egg whites, he quickly put the liners in to three pans, though the third was only half full.

“Ha,” she said. “Egg whites are done.” She quickly pulled the batter next to the egg whites and added it to the batter. She pulled out two bags of chocolate chips and handed one to him. “Now we add these.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Both of them?”

“It calls for two cups and, okay, this is a bit more than that but not by much.”

Leonard shrugged. “You can never have too many chocolate chips.”

Sara pointed at him. “Exactly.” 

They grinned at each other and poured the bags in before Sara folded the chocolate chips in until everything was completely mixed together. She handed him a small scoop.

“One scoop in each liner.”

He pressed the release on the scoop at her a few times with a smile, making her laugh, before he quickly scooped out the batter, eyebrows shooting up when he realized that the batter was spread out evenly between each of the liners.

“Perfect,” Sara sighed, nodding in satisfaction. They quickly slid each pan in to the ovens and shut the doors. Sara set the timer and turned to Leonard. “Now, we wait.”

He moved to his jacket and pulled out a deck of cards he’d forgotten to take out of his pocket earlier. “How are you at five card draw?”

Sara grinned. “You’re going down, Leonard Stein.”

Leonard smirked. “Now, Lance, what kind of girl do you think I am? That doesn’t happen until we get to know each other a little better.”

Sara laughed and took the cards from him. “I’ll remember that.”

~*~*~

Once the timer had gone off and the cupcakes were out of the oven, Sara and Leonard abandoned the cards to head upstairs. Leonard’s lips twitched as they neared the open door and the sound of Katie giggling reached their ears.

“Hey, now, what’s going on in here?” Sara called as they walked in to the apartment. Leonard glanced around, taking in the couch that looked incredibly comfortable and the bookcases that were filled with a mixture of books, movies, and photographs. 

Katie and the guy that Leonard now knew was Jax looked up from where they seemed to be building a town out of Legos.

“Momma!” Katie’s eyes moved past Sara and widened. “Lenny!”

“Hey, Katie girl,” Leonard said. 

“Forgotten in my own home,” Sara sighed to Jax. He grinned.

“It’s because he’s tall. Katie can’t see you because you’re too tiny,” Jax teased. Sara punched him in the arm and he laughed, rubbing the spot. “Girl, you’re lethal.”

Sara pointed at him. “Don’t you forget it.” She smiled. “You want to stay for pizza?”

“Your pizza? You know it but I can’t,” Jax told her. “I’ve got a date tonight.” He scoffed when Sara pursed her lips at him in a mock kiss, turning to Leonard. “Hey, man, I’m Jax.”

“Leonard.” He smiled and shook Jax’s hand.

“Nice to meet you.” Jax stepped back and crouched down. “Okay, Katie, give me a hug.”

“Do you really have to go?” She pouted.

“As much as I’d like to stay and do pizza with you and your mom, I’ve got a date.”

Katie sighed as if no one understood how hard her life was. “Okay.”

“Next time,” Jax promised. Katie nodded and threw her arms around him.

“Bye, Jax,” she mumbled. 

He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

That made Katie smile. “Okay!”

“Courtney?” Sara asked when Jax stood. He nodded and she smiled. “I knew she liked you!”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re all knowing,” Jax told her, smiling and rolling his eyes as he hugged her. “See you tomorrow.” He looked at Leonard. “Nice to meet you,” he said again.

“Likewise,” Leonard replied. “Good luck with the date.”

Jax blew out a breath as he headed towards the door. “Yeah, fingers crossed, man. Now, I better go or I’ll be late.” Jax waved at Sara and Katie one more time before disappearing out the door and down the stairs.

Sara glanced down at Katie. “Okay, ninja, move Lego City to the side so it doesn’t get destroyed and then go wash your hands. It’s pizza time.”

Katie looked at the two of them. “Is Lenny having pizza with us?”

“He is.” Sara grinned. “And you know what we do on pizza nights.”

“Movie!”

“Movie,” Sara confirmed. She looked at Leonard. “I hope you don’t mind _Moana_. She’s a bit in love with it at the moment.”

“Oh thank God,” Leonard muttered. When Sara raised an eyebrow, he leaned closer. “There’s only so many times I can hear _Let It Go_ without going insane.”

Sara laughed, leaning in to him slightly before she pulled back and tapped her finger against Katie’s forehead. “Legos.”

While Katie did that, Leonard followed Sara in to the kitchen and watched as she uncovered the dough that had been sitting in a bowl and turned on the oven. Near it was a bowl of what looked to be marinara sauce covered with saran wrap.

“You weren’t kidding when you said homemade pizza, were you?” Leonard asked. Sara smiled as she pulled out a tool he’d only seen on cooking shows. “Is that a pastry cutter?”

She glanced over. “It’s technically called a scraper but a lot of people use it to cut through dough as well,” she told him. “And, of course, I meant it. What did you think I meant when I said homemade pizza?”

Leonard shifted as she cut the dough in to eight sections. “Honestly? Boboli.” The look she gave him was so offended that he burst out laughing, leaning against the counter for support.

“Heathen,” she said, pointing at him with the scraper before putting it in the sink.

“I put the toppings and the sauce on when I do that. It counts”

“It really doesn’t.” Sara shook her head as she began to work on the first section of dough, stretching it out in to a small personal size pizza. 

Leonard couldn’t help but watch in fascination as Sara used her fingers to stretch out the pizza. There was a pizza place on Silver Avenue that his family still went to where they had an area that allowed people to watch the chefs throw the dough and stretch it out while waiting for their order. When he’d been a kid, Leonard had always wandered off to watch, always waiting to see if the person was going to catch it or not. He still did it these days though he usually had one of his nieces or nephews with him while he watched.

Sara pulled out a couple of cookie sheets and covered them with parchment paper. “Less mess this way,” she confided. 

“I’ve never thought of that,” he admitted.

“You just throw out the paper when you’re done and,” she flung her hands up, “voila! No mess.”

Leonard glanced up from where he’d been watching her hands and smiled slightly. “I’ll remember that.”

“See that you do,” she told him, moving to poke him before realizing she had flour on her hands and stopping herself. Instead, she went back to stretching out each ball of dough until she had the first four on the cookie sheets. She brushed a bit of olive oil on each and sprinkled a seasoning mix along the edges of each.

“What’s in that?” Leonard asked leaning forward to take a deep breath. He had no idea what she had just used but he could make out a few different scents that he loved.

Sara smiled as she uncovered the marinara sauce. “Sorry, top secret information.”

Leonard gave her an offended look. “Top secret?”

“Mhmm,” Sara nodded, “you need at least level eight clearance.”

“Do you accept bribery?”

She slanted an amused look up at him as she spread a bit of sauce on the first pizza. “Not a chance.” She paused after the first scoop of sauce. “Is that good or do you like it extra saucy?” 

He let out a huff of laughter at the bit of innuendo and shifted closer. “Extra saucy, of course.” He didn’t say more than that though, mostly because he could hear Katie in the next room and he wasn’t about to start a conversation like that with her little girl within hearing distance.

Sara’s lips curled up in to a knowing smile. “Well, you just get better and better, Leonard Stein.”

He didn’t get a chance to respond as Katie came running in to the room. “I moved Lego City,” she proudly announced.

“Everyone survive?” Sara asked, winking at Leonard. He grinned.

“Batman almost fell off the bridge but the Flash caught him so it was okay,” Katie said. Leonard ducked his head to hide his amusement.

“What a relief.” Sara nodded at the fridge. “Can you get the cheese for me, Katie?” She glanced at Leonard. “I’ve got the other toppings in there too. Could you get that out, please?”

“No problem,” he said as he followed Katie to the fridge. He stood back and let her pull the door open on her own, figuring that was the best course of action if she was as independent as Mel had been at her age. Leonard glanced over at Sara, noting the smile of approval, and knew that he’d made the right choice.

“Cheese!” Katie held up the bowl of what Leonard would bet was freshly shredded mozzarella cheese. 

Sara smiled as she finished putting the last pizza on the second cookie sheet. She quickly washed her hands before taking the bowl from Katie. “Just a second, ninja.”

As soon as Katie had moved towards Sara, Leonard had ducked down, grabbing a third cookie sheet that had six different containers on it. He glanced down as he straightened and smiled at the sight of the toppings: pepperoni, ham, shredded chicken, pineapple, basil, and tomatoes.

He could work with that.

“Where do you want these?” he asked.

Sara frowned and glanced around the kitchen. She held up a finger and moved the cookie sheet of pizzas that already had sauce on them on top of the stove so that she could put the cheese down. She nodded at the bit of counter next to it, just large enough to fit the cookie sheet he was holding. “There,” she told him. “Thanks.”

“Hey, you’re feeding me and helping me out. Carrying the toppings is the least I can do.”

She grinned in appreciation and then lifted Katie, pausing as she realized she’d left the cheese on the counter behind her. Before she could move, he reached over and grabbed the bowl of cheese. 

“Thanks,” she said again before bouncing Katie. “Okay, ninja, put your cheese on.”

Biting her lip in concentration, Katie took a handful of cheese and tried to sprinkle it the way that she’d seen her momma do. She repeated it a few more times until both pizzas had enough cheese and then smiled proudly. “Like that?”

“Perfect,” Sara assured her, ignoring the bits of cheese that had fallen to the floor while Katie had been holding it. She smiled at the spots that had more cheese than others but left it alone. “Now put the toppings you want on.”

Katie leaned over as Leonard moved to the side so she could see the different choices, frowning in concentration. After a few moments she took some of the chicken and put it on one followed by tomatoes. The next was just pepperoni. “Done!”

“Looks delicious,” Sara told her, setting her back down. “Go pick a movie.” When Katie ran out of the room, Sara gestured to the other two. “You’re up.”

For a moment, Leonard watched as she put the sauce on the other pizzas, enjoying the way she moved before he turned and quickly put plenty of cheese on each of his pizzas. He slid the bowl back on to the counter next to the cookie sheet that Sara was working on. She flashed him a smile as they each turned back to what they were doing and for a moment, he wondered what it’d be like to see her move around his kitchen before he gave himself a mental shake and turned back to the toppings, choosing the ham and pineapple for one and chicken and basil for the other.

“You want me to set a timer for these?” he asked as he picked up the cookie sheet and opened the oven.

She glanced back and grinned at the sight of the toppings he’d picked. “No, that’s okay. I’ll keep an eye on them.” She waited until he’d slid the cookie sheet in and shut the door to add, “Good taste in toppings.”

Leonard leaned against the counter next to her. “You had good options there.”

“Can’t go wrong with a few classics.” She sprinkled all four pizzas with cheese and then moved to the toppings. Tomato and the last of the basil went on one, chicken and pepperoni on the second, then ham and pepperoni on the third. She frowned down at the last one, eyeing the toppings before scooping the last of the chicken and pineapple on that one.

Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Chicken and pineapple?”

Sara shrugged as she opened the oven and slid the cookie sheet on the top rack before shutting the door again. “I honestly have no idea how that’s going to taste but chicken is only good for a couple of days and same with the basil so I needed to use those up. Since I’m not making anything with pineapple tomorrow, that went on too.” She grinned. “It’s going to be lunch tomorrow. We’ll see how that goes.”

“I’m going to expect a report on that one.”

“Count on it.”

“Momma! Is it time yet?” Katie asked, bursting back in the kitchen. “I got it set up.”

Sara wiped her hands off, reaching out to brush Katie’s hair out of her eyes. “Everything, huh?” When Katie nodded, she said, “Okay then let’s get your drink. What do you want?”

Leonard fought back a laugh when Katie scrunched up her nose as she thought. “Milk,” she decided after a few moments. 

“Milk it is.” Sara turned and opened one of the upper cabinets, pulling out a small plastic cup with Disney princesses on it, along with a matching lid and straw, setting them on the counter. She brushed passed Leonard to get to the fridge for the milk. He sucked in a breath when she brushed against him again on her way back. Her hands were steady as she poured the milk and twisted the lid on before handing it to Katie. “There you go. Go start the previews, okay? I’m going to get the pizzas out in a little bit.”

“And then you and Lenny will come watch with me?” Katie asked. 

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Leonard promised. She smiled and ran out of the room. 

“What about you?” Sara asked. “You want milk?” Her lips twitched and he couldn’t help but smile slightly in response to the look she was giving him.

“Depends what else you have.”

“Soda, juice, water are the non-alcoholic choices. If you want alcohol, I’ve got beer.”

“Soda,” Leonard said. He wouldn’t mind beer but watching a Disney movie with a four year old felt more like a soda thing. 

“Glass?”

He shook his head. “Can’s fine.”

She smiled and took out two cans and set them on the counter before glancing at the clock. “Can you take those in there? I’m going to take the first pizzas out.”

“No problem,” Leonard told her. “You need any help?”

“I’ve got it,” she assured him. “Do you want yours sliced or no?”

“Sliced,” Leonard called back as he entered the other room where Katie was practically bouncing in place as she watched the screen. She looked up when he walked in.

“Lenny, is it time for pizza?” she asked, nearly knocking over her cup of milk. He quickly reached out and steadied it. Lid or not, some of the milk would have spilled. He knew that from experience.

Leonard couldn’t help the smile as he sat on the couch and glanced down at her. “Almost. Your mom is getting the pizzas.” He leaned forward. “So what did you pick?”

As Sara had predicted, Katie had chosen _Moana_ and Leonard spent the next few minutes listening as Katie excitedly explained why she was the best and why Maui was so cool and how the chicken was funny but her momma had said they couldn’t get a pig like the one Moana had. He glanced up, smile on his face, and stood up when he saw Sara walking in with three plates.

“Let me get that,” he said, taking the two she’d balanced on her right arm. 

She smiled. “Thanks. Thought I’d put those summers as a waitress to good use.”

“Waitressing, huh?” His eyes ran over her before lifting to meet her gaze. “How many numbers did you find left with your tips?”

Sara laughed. “Now that would be telling.” She nudged him with her hip. “Katie’s going to explode if you don’t hand over that pizza.”

Leonard looked down to see Katie looking between him and the TV as if she wasn’t sure which she wanted to go for first—the movie or the pizza. He grinned and put the plate of chicken and tomato pizza in front of Katie, fighting back a laugh when she wiggled happily in her seat. He turned towards Sara to find her pressing her lips together in an effort not to laugh.

It only took a few moments for them to each get settled and then Sara hit play and Leonard couldn’t help but look down to watch Katie as often as he watched the movie. It was clear from the way she’d talked earlier that she loved it but now he was seeing just how much she loved it. From the opening notes, she was swaying in her seat to the music, waving her hands in the air as if she was a conductor, and even saying some of the lines with the characters, something he found out she could do almost right away.

“And his name was MAUI,” Katie announced with Moana’s grandmother.

Sara leaned over. “This might just be the most dramatic viewing of _Moana_ you’ll ever see,” she whispered.

“Looking forward to it,” he whispered back. He smiled when Katie fell silent, leaning forward as the ocean played with toddler Moana. She only knew a few words of the next song though she made up for it by humming along and laughing at Moana’s antics as she tried to go out on the sea. He glanced over when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and grinned when he saw Sara’s fingers tapping out the beat of the song.

Katie was obviously not the only one that enjoyed going along with the songs.

Neither of them said anything through the next few scenes until it came time for Moana’s song, _How Far I’ll Go_. 

“Just watch,” Sara whispered, eyes already on Katie as she smiled. 

Katie straightened and as the song began, she began to sing along. She knew every word and didn’t stumble over a single one. Leonard looked over at Sara and smiled softly at the look on her face as she watched Katie sing. He glanced down when he noticed Sara’s foot tapping along and then turned back to Katie and the screen, settling back on the couch.

“Do you want your other pizza?” Sara asked quietly as Moana’s grandma showed her the cavern of boats. Leonard nodded.

“I can get it if you want,” he offered. She shook her head. 

“I’ll get it.” She took his plate and disappeared in the kitchen, returning with both their second pizzas.

“Thanks,” he said. She smiled.

“No problem.”

As it was announced that something was wrong with the chief’s mother, Sara’s hand moved down to Katie’s hair, smoothing it even as she took a deep breath. Leonard probably wouldn’t admit it to anyone that his throat tightened when the grandma assured Moana that there was nowhere Moana could go that she wouldn’t be. He looked over at Sara as the sting ray appeared in the ocean to find her swiping away tears. 

Without hesitation, he reached out and put a hand on her arm. When she looked at him, he lifted his eyebrows in silent question.

“Gets me every single time,” she confessed. He nodded in understanding and turned back to the movie, moving his hand only after a few moments.

Nothing else was said as they continued to watch, laughing at Moana’s indignation at the ocean and then at the way Katie bounced in her seat, singing along to _You’re Welcome_ —though the only part she knew for that song was “What can I say except you’re welcome?” and a few other lines.

They stayed silent for most of the movie, laughing at certain parts and getting serious at others—Sara reaching out to brush back Katie’s hair when Katie pouted at Maui leaving Moana—until the water parted for Moana as she realized that Te Ka was Te Fiti. Next to him, Sara let out a satisfied sigh as Moana began to slowly make her way to return Te Fiti’s heart, her hand reaching out to grasp his. He sucked in a breath and turned to look at her.

“I love this part,” was all she said before focusing on the screen again. He studied her for a few more moments, taking in the small smile on her face, before he focused on the movie again. 

Katie cheered when Te Fiti gave Maui back his hook and then Moana made it back to her island. As the credits began to play, Sara squeezed his hand then pulled away to gather the plates and Katie’s cup. She took them in to the kitchen while Katie turned to look up at Leonard, pizza sauce on her face. He laughed a bit and reached out to snag one of the paper towels they’d been using as napkins.

“Come here, Katie girl.” He paused as he realized that he couldn’t just wipe at her face without wetting the paper towel and glanced around. The water bottle that Sara had brought out with their second pizzas was on the table and he used it to dampen the paper towel. “Let’s get the sauce off your face, okay?” She made a face but nodded and he had a feeling that was an argument she was used to losing. Carefully, he wiped at her cheeks, wondering how it was that kids always managed to get sauce—pizza or spaghetti—all over when eating. He smiled once her face was clean and leaned back. “There. Done.”

“Yay!”

“Yes,” Sara agreed from the doorway. “Yay!” She smiled at him when he looked up at her. “Thanks.”

“Any time.”

She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Do you mind waiting a bit longer while I get her ready for bed?”

“No,” he shook his head, “take your time.”

She smiled in thanks and swung Katie up in to her arms. “Come on, Katie Leigh, it’s bath time.”

“But Lenny cleaned my face, Momma,” Katie protested, pouting. 

Sara laughed. “I know. But we still need to wash your hair so bath time.”

Katie considered it. “With the new shampoo?”

“With your new shampoo,” she confirmed as they disappeared down the hall. Leonard watched them go and then turned back to look around the living room. It didn’t take him long to figure out Sara’s DVD player, so he took the movie out and switched it to the TV before heading in to the kitchen. He could hear laughter and splashing coming from the direction Sara and Katie had gone and he smiled a bit as he turned on the water, letting it get hot.

He listened as Sara jokingly sang Under the Sea and Katie joined in and, for a moment, he pretended that this was his life. Sara, Katie, movie nights, baking cupcakes, bath time as he washed dishes.

It should probably bother him how much he suddenly _wanted_ but it didn’t. He wasn’t sure when it had happened but now that he was aware of it, he only remembered that it had taken one date for Lisa to come back smitten with Cisco and that Lily had walked in a few days after meeting Ray and sighed that she was going to marry that man. A smile crept across his face as he remembered his “prove it or get out of my face” scientist sister sighing over her future husband and the fond smile his mom had begun to wear all the time after that as she recounted how she’d known after one night with his dad that he was the one for her.

The Steins, whether they were Steins by blood, marriage, or adoption, were a family that fell in love quickly and didn’t look back.

It seemed he was no different.

Once all of the dishes were washed, he quickly dried them and then opened the cupboards until he found the correct spot for each item before wiping down the counter. He glanced around and noticed that Sara had already picked up the cheese that Katie had dropped earlier and put away the leftover pepperoni and ham. All that had really been left were the dishes so he turned off the light and went back to the living room and settled back on the couch, satisfied that there’d be one less thing for Sara to worry about once he left.

He flipped through the channels until he found Chopped and then narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what the ingredients were as he heard a hair dryer turn on down the hall. His lips twitched. His mom had never let either of his sisters go to bed with wet hair either.

The next round had already started when Sara startled him as she said,

“That’s entirely too much orange zest. It’s going to be bitter.”

He turned and grinned at the sight before him. Sara had put her hair up with some kind of clip—though that hadn’t stopped a few damp pieces on either side from escaping—and there were a few wet spots on her shirt and jeans from where Katie had splashed her. Katie’s hair was in a braid and her pajamas were a long black shirt with the Hogwarts crest on it.

“Tell Leonard good night,” Sara said, gesturing for Katie to go ahead. Katie ran part of the way and then slowed down as she got closer, staring at him.

“I liked you being here for pizza, Lenny,” she told him, stopping next to him. “And the movie!”

“It was a good movie,” he agreed as she smiled up at him. “Maybe we can have another movie night soon, okay?”

Katie’s eyes lit up and she threw her arms around him. “Okay. Night, Lenny!”

Leonard hugged her back. “Night, Katie girl.” He watched as she ran back to Sara, his eyes moving to meet Sara’s.

“I’ll be right back,” she promised. He nodded as she took Katie’s hand.

“Momma, can I have a song tonight?” Katie asked as they left the room.

“Sure you can, ninja.” There was silence for a few moments and he imagined that Katie was crawling under the covers and then he heard Sara begin to sing, “ _Storybook endings, fairy tales coming true, deep down inside we want to believe they still do. In our secretest heart, it’s our favorite part of the story, let’s just all admit we want to make it to ever, ever after_.”

~*~*~

Leonard glanced over when Sara came back in the room, a small smile on his face. “She asleep?”

“Down for the count,” Sara confirmed, dropping next to him. She turned in her seat to face him. “Thank you.” She didn’t specify for what though he had a feeling he knew and so he simply nodded, his own smile widening when she stretched and stood. “Okay, let’s get those cupcakes of yours frosted or I’m going to just use you for a pillow and say to hell with it.”

“That’s really not motivation to get me moving,” Leonard told her. She laughed and stood, pulling him up as she did so. “Slave driver.”

“Don’t make me get the whip.” 

“Kinky.” 

She rolled her eyes as they left the apartment, keeping the door open as they walked back downstairs. She made sure the baby monitor was on once they were down there and then paused as she realized she’d forgotten to turn off the music.

“Oops,” she said. “I guess I know what I forgot to do.”

“Just means you didn’t have to turn it back on.”

She grinned in appreciation and then pulled out a bowl. “How are you at using a sifter?”

“Never had to use one.” He watched as she pulled out a box of powdered sugar and what he assumed was a sifter.

“Well, tonight you’re using one,” she told him, opening the box of powdered sugar. She showed him how to use it and then stepped aside. “We’re using the whole box.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? That’s a pound of powdered sugar.”

Her lips twitched. “Yup,” was all she said.

“Emma’s day care is going to hate me,” Leonard decided. After a moment, he shrugged. “But Emma is going to love it so they can get over it.”

“That’s the spirit,” Sara encouraged. She took the bowl they’d made the batter in to the sink and turned the water on to hot. “And here’s the other thing I forgot to do.” It didn’t take long before she had that and the other bowls as well as the utensils and measuring cups they’d used washed and dried. Once she’d set it back up, she put three sticks of butter in the bowl and creamed them together for a couple of minutes. By the time she’d finished, Leonard was nearly done with the powdered sugar and they fell back in to the comfortable silence from earlier as he finished sifting the powdered sugar.

“Okay, now what?” he asked, setting the sifter to the side.

“Now, you add half a cup to the butter and I’ll beat it together after each one until we’ve gotten it all in there.” Leonard grabbed the measuring cup he’d need and added the first scoop, stepping back to let Sara beat it together for five minutes. They continued that pattern, Sara turning the speed up every now and then, until there was no more powdered sugar left. Sara added the vanilla next and turned the mixer back on, beating until it was smooth. 

She detached the bowl and nudged Leonard to the side. “Grab two more bags of chocolate chips,” she told him. Though his eyebrows shot up, he grabbed another two bags from the same spot as earlier and then eyed the buttercream frosting they’d just made. “Both bags.”

“I’m stealing one of these for myself,” Leonard nodded, “and no one is allowed to say a thing about it.”

Sara laughed as they poured the chocolate chips in before she grabbed a spatula and carefully folded the chocolate chips in. “Ta da! Chocolate chip frosting for chocolate chip cupcakes!” She tugged a container towards them and pulled out what they’d need to get the cupcakes frosted. “You want me to use the rounded tip or the star tip?”

Leonard considered offering to frost them instead but if the frosting bags didn’t have tips that screwed on, he made a mess. Instead, he considered the question and then decided, “Star.”

She smiled and nodded. “Best choice, I think.” She scooped the frosting in to a large frosting bag, snipped the tip off, and put the star tip on. While she did that, he decided to wash the dishes they’d just used. As they each worked, he listened as she began to softly sing along to the next song. He set the bowls, measuring cup, and sifter to the side so that they could air dry and turned, leaning against the counter.

“ _I guess I’m ready to love again, so come and find me, I’ll be waiting up for you, I’ll be holding out for you tonight..._ ”

“You know, I never pegged you as a country music fan,” he said. Yet it was all that he’d ever heard her listen to.

She didn’t pause in frosting the cupcakes though she stopped singing so that she could answer. “I know a lot of people think that it’s just what you hear in jokes. You know, the guy loses his wife, truck, and dog to another man. Or the woman catches her husband cheating and wants revenge. And there’s some songs like that obviously but so many more tell a story.” She paused to adjust her grip. “I know most music tells a story but there’s just something about the way country songs do it that I love.” She smiled. “I suppose that’s why I’m also a sucker for musicals. I love things that tell a story.”

Leonard fought back the urge to tell her that he told stories for a living and instead nodded. “I never really thought about it like that.”

She glanced up briefly to smile at him. “Most people don’t.” She shrugged as she finished frosting the last cupcake and set the bag to the side, reaching for a box that she’d set out earlier and beginning to put the cupcakes in. Once she’d done that, she glanced at him, studying him for a few moments. “Here. Listen.” She moved to where her iPod was docked and scrolled through the songs until the one she wanted started.

_Ridin’ down the road listenin’ to the radio_  
_You leaned over and you turned it up_  
_You said, “Baby this is it,_  
_The one I wanted you to hear._  
_Don’t it sound just like us?”_

Leonard tilted his head and smiled as he listened before he held out a hand to her. “You want to dance, Sara?”

She smiled and slid her hand in to his, laughing lightly when he tugged her away from the counter and held her, turning them in a circle as the chorus started.

_This is my first love song_  
_First time I felt the words_  
_First time I sang along_  
_Whenever it comes on,_  
_I just think of you and everything you do_  
_You’re my one, my from-now-on_  
_My first love song_

Sara rested her head against his shoulder, glancing up at him through her eyelashes when he looked down at her, his hand sliding up her back as he pulled her just a bit closer. He let out a breath as the song continued to play before he pulled back slightly. She frowned, pulling back a bit.

His eyes fell to her mouth then lifted back to hers in a silent question and the corner of his mouth lifted when he felt her fingers clench around his even as she shifted closer in silent permission.

He kept the kiss soft and unhurried, letting go of her hand so that he could wrap that arm around her as well and letting out a hum of satisfaction when she slid that arm around his neck. The back of her shirt rode up and he curled his fingers against the small of her back when he suddenly felt soft skin instead of fabric. They had turned until she was pressed against one of the counters, one of his legs slipping between hers and causing her hips to jerk slightly as she moaned lightly.

Leonard pulled back, closing his eyes against the low ache spreading through him and pressing his forehead against hers when she made a small noise of protest.

“Sara,” he breathed, opening his eyes to find her looking up at him, her lips curled up in a small, private smile. He couldn’t resist pressing a hand against her cheek and running his thumb along her lower lip. “Will you go to dinner with me? Saturday?”

Her smile widened. “Yes,” she told him with no hesitation. It felt like that question had been weeks in coming. “Yes,” she repeated. “I’ll go to dinner with you.” Her eyes fluttered closed and she shivered slightly when his fingers uncurled, the tips dragging across the skin of her back. The smile on her face turned a bit smug when she opened her eyes and lifted on her tip toes, causing her body to press against his and he made a low noise in the back of his throat, ducking his head to press his lips to her shoulder.

Leonard let out a shaky breath against Sara’s shoulder causing her to shiver again. He pulled back and stared down at her, taking in the way her eyes had darkened and the way she bit her lip.

“I better go,” he said softly. She nodded though neither of them moved for another few moments before they stepped back from each other as if there’d been some sort of silent signal. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Let me know if you can’t find anyone to watch Katie, okay? I can always ask Lisa or we can take her with us. I don’t mind.”

A bright smile spread across Sara’s face and she put her hands on his shoulders, rising up to press a quick kiss to his lips. “Okay,” she agreed, stepping back.

He picked up his coat and shrugged it on before picking up the box of cupcakes, shifting slightly. “Good night, Sara.” He paused to press a kiss to her forehead in goodbye.

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. “Good night, Len.”

Leonard smiled as he walked out of the kitchen, noting the light coming from the direction of the office, indicating that Thea was still there. No one had ever shortened his name to Len. Leo or Lenny but never Len. As he walked outside, he heard the sound of a lock sliding in to place and glanced back to find Sara with her hand on the lock, the smile from earlier still on her face.

He shot her a teasing smirk that made her laugh and shake her head before heading to his car, anticipation rising as he thought about Saturday.

While Hanukkah had already ended a couple days ago, Leonard thought of his family’s Christmas dinner and smiled.

Maybe they’d be adding a couple of place settings this year.

**Author's Note:**

> Songs used or mentioned in this fic:  
> A Good Day To Run by Darryl Worley (Barry's ringtone)  
> Ever Ever After by Carrie Underwood  
> Ready To Love Again by Lady Antebellum  
> My First Love Song by Luke Bryan


End file.
